[HTSkywalker]

The clipping issue I've noticed on mine is really only present with aggressively bassy music and an impedance mismatch with my amp. The extreme brightness and rattling seems to have been (largely) solved; I think its mostly older stray models that might still display this. I think it might also be a matter of amp pairing, in my time with the clears it has shown pretty wide character shifts based on the amp used.
The touchpoint degradation was one of the weirdest missteps I've ever seen, they could have used a better treated material in the same color and not had it degrade so rapidly and unsightly. The insane cost of replacement earpads only made it worse.



I contacted the Canadian Focal supplier and got some of the worst customer service imaginable, in an email they literally told me it was illegal for them to help me. Heck, I wanted to buy a replacement cable and they still haven't replied to me. It's understandable and common for a manufacturer to require proof of purchase for warranty replacements but Focal is the only company I've heard of making it difficult for customers to PAY for repairs (your experience and mine).

The main reason why I steered away from their product line and am glad I did so.
People in our hobby seek enjoyment not frustration from unprofessional companies.
My experience with Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic and now Hifiman has been a rewarding one

 

[ubs28]

The main reason why I steered away from their product line and am glad I did so.
People in our hobby seek enjoyment not frustration from unprofessional companies.
My experience with Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic and now Hifiman has been a rewarding one

Well, you are going to run into the same issues with other companies. I know Apple does the same if you did not buy it from them directly.

Really, buy your products from respectable stores instead of Amazon who has poor customer service.

 

[HTSkywalker]

If I remember correctly, you bought your headphones from Amazon and not from Focal. So your retailer is Amazon and they should be handling your repair and refund requests.

You cannot also go to Apple directly if you did not buy your iPhone from Apple directly. Apple will tell you to go the retailer you bought it from. I think I already explained this how this works.

Been an Apple customer for soo long and I need to correct you here. Regardless where you buy your Apple product from, Apple offers paid repair services outside the warranty and their failure rate is way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching beside talking full responsibility on any failure in their production line despite retailers.

 

[dontfeedphils]

Been an Apple customer for soo long and I need to correct you here. Regardless where you buy your Apple product from, Apple offers paid repair services outside the warranty and their failure rate is way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching beside talking full responsibility on any failure in their production line despite retailers.

What is the failure rate on the Clear? You obviously have insider info.

 

[HTSkywalker]

Well, you are going to run into the same issues with other companies. I know Apple does the same if you did not buy it from them directly.

Really, buy your products from respectable stores instead of Amazon who has poor customer service.

Bought directly this time from Hifiman

 

[ubs28]

Been an Apple customer for soo long and I need to correct you here. Regardless where you buy your Apple product from, Apple offers paid repair services outside the warranty and their failure rate is way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching beside talking full responsibility on any failure in their production line despite retailers.

That is not true. I took my APM to the Apple Store last month for an issue and the first thing they asked me is where I bought it from.

I also had a warranty case with an iPhone I ordered from a telephone company and Apple told me to go back to the place I bought it from (hence why I buy all Apple equipment from Apple directly so I get their excellent service).

 

[HTSkywalker]

What is the failure rate on the Clear? You obviously have insider info.

I work for Apple not Focal but still i can confirm my statement

 

[Warrenk]

Its funny how everyone says that company quality control is better than that one, I'm sorry but all companies sometime down the line have quality control issues.

They're all the same in the end. Some people have good experience some people have bad .

On focal I have good own 3 products from them.

Solo 6be
In esr headphones
And now clear which so far have no issues. I've tested the lows with a sub oscillator.

You pick the company for the sound that they create in their product. Focal has a specific sound which I like.

 

[Guidostrunk]

I've pushed mine up over 90db when this clipping issue was discussed months ago. Playing ridiculous EDM bass drops and not once has mine clipped. I was peaking around 95db with some songs and notta.. The bass did rattle my chicklets , but no clipping.
my general listening levels are 75db with 80db spikes.

The Focal Clear has clipping/pop type issues with its drivers when you try to listen at loud volumes, sometimes it can be present at low volumes. From my estimate, it starts clipping at 87 dB. This issue effects everyone, it has been confirmed by Focal. Focal headphones are plagued with driver issues. If you buy a focal headphone regardless of it's model. You're taking a huge risk. Stop trying to act like this issue effects people few and far between. I'm lucky my model doesn't suffer from this issue at low volumes in bass heavy music. Give yours a try at 40hz.

 

[descloud]

They didn't review the Clear, but they did do a full analysis of the Elear. The Elear is very similar to the Clear technicalities speaking

By all indications, this is an assumption and not a fact. You've made the association of the Elear with the Clear's technicalities either through the use of similar driver assembly or brand association. If we go by your trend of thought, one could also claim that HD700 and HD800S are "very similar technicalities speaking" if the HD800S never undergone a similar test. That said, your point of the Clear having inferior technicalities isn't a fact per se.

 

[kith86]

Been an Apple customer for soo long and I need to correct you here. Regardless where you buy your Apple product from, Apple offers paid repair services outside the warranty and their failure rate is way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching beside talking full responsibility on any failure in their production line despite retailers.

Have i told you not only Focal that refused services outside warranty, like ATH also will reject your service once it warranty out in my country, i tried also with Final Audio as well, and no respond from them bcause i failed to provide invoice and off couse warranty off, well but if you think that what focal should do, i have nothing to explain more since yes i knew some europe manufacture usually do better with aftersales. but since as i recalled your purchase not via authorized dealer well i cant say more, i have same treament as well but not from Focal but from Final Audio, they ignored my email, and again ATH also didnot do services, they're both big company as well, and maybe next time better do research first before buying something.

However if they can change their policy that's good, but for now that's what it is... either stay away or just lived with it...

 

[HTSkywalker]

Its funny how everyone says that company quality control is better than that one, I'm sorry but all companies sometime down the line have quality control issues.

They're all the same in the end. Some people have good experience some people have bad .

On focal I have good own 3 products from them.

Solo 6be
In esr headphones
And now clear which so far have no issues. I've tested the lows with a sub oscillator.

You pick the company for the sound that they create in their product. Focal has a specific sound which I like.

That’s a moderate statement which i totally agree on.

 

[HTSkywalker]

Have i told you not only Focal that refused services outside warranty, like ATH also will reject your service once it warranty out in my country, i tried also with Final Audio as well, and not respond bcause i failed to provide invoice and off couse warranty off, well but if you think that what focal should do, i have nothing to explain more since yes i knew some europe manufacture usually do better with aftersales. but since as i recalled your purchase not via authorized dealer well i cant say more, i have same treament as well but not from Focal but from Final Audio, they ignored my email, and again ATH also didnot do services, they're both big company as well, and maybe next time better do research first before buying something.

However if they can change their policy that's good, but for now that's what it is... either stay away or just lived with it...

Totally agree, learned my lesson too but not replying to customer emails nor providing solutions (for a charge) is not a friendly practice.

 

[Chesty]

Been an Apple customer for soo long and I need to correct you here. Regardless where you buy your Apple product from, Apple offers paid repair services outside the warranty and their failure rate is way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching beside talking full responsibility on any failure in their production line despite retailers.

I am not so certain re your statement that Apple's failure rate is "way below what Focal may ever dreams reaching". I am on my third set of AirPods Pro. The first time they failed (both sides developed a rattle when you walked), Apple were quite difficult and tried to blame me for "surely dropping them". When the second set failed in the same manner, they replaced them without hesitation, presumably since they had already announced a global recall. I am too old to believe that any one major/established manufacture outshines another. Failures happen to the best of us and the best of companies.

 

[pbarach]

What is the failure rate on the Clear? You obviously have insider info.

This is obviously a key question. It's my contention that we do not know the failure rate and that one can't extrapolate that from the number of complaints on this forum. How many Clear owners subscribe to this forum but never post about whether or not they have had failures? How many Clear owners are unknown to the forum because they never joined it?

We also do not know the satisfaction rate concerning Focal customer service. There is no basis for assuming that the complaints are typical or even common.